The Setup
by TheLazyBlackCat
Summary: Everyone knows that when Dragaunus wants something he can't get himself, he's not one to shy away from forcing someone else into doing his dirty work. But, maybe he should think twice about who he sends out.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, other then some OCs that might make their way in here. Everyone knows that Disney is the company that owns the Mighty Ducks Animated Series!

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**Chapter 1:**

The night was eerily quiet. The howling echoes of stir-crazy fans cheering for their team had died out less than a week ago when the Mighty Ducks lost the Stanley Cup. It had been a vicious final round that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. A battle that raged for a full seven games, ending in an overtime victory for the Detroit Crank Shafts. The only sounds echoing now were that of six ducks playing an uneven game of hockey by themselves in the empty arena.

Phil was taken aback by the sad sight before him. His team had been eager to play and their excitement palpable throughout their run in the playoffs. But now… He sighed to himself as he made his way down to the player's bench. _I guess you can't win them all_, he thought to himself looking up at the rafters. It would have been nice to add a "Stanley Cup Champions" banner up there alongside the two "Western Conference Division Champions" banners already there.

There was always next year! That's right, he could always cheer them up by talking about how great they'd be next year! They'll practice hard all summer. Analyze their games from this previous season, especially those from the playoff run. They'd be a better prepared team and much more finely tuned this next season.

"Hey guys!" He yelled as he reached for the red trimmed wall separating the bench from the ice. All players slowed to a halt looking over at their hefty manager. "How's about a nice dinner out on the town? On me?"

"What's the catch?" Tanya skated in a small circle, closest to the bench.

Phil was shocked by the accusation. Did they really believe that there'd be a catch to his charitable ways? When had he ever lead them to believe that he only did things for them just to get something in return?! The nerve of these aliens!

"There's always a catch, Phil." Duke skated up to the bench, interrupting the human's mental tirade.

The man paused for a moment, mentally running through a list of times he had-

NO! Now was not the time for such trivial matters. "Nothing", he answered earnestly. He watched as profound skepticism ran through each duck's face, a few brows rising along the way. Phil let his shoulders slump in defeat. Maybe they had gotten to know him better then he would admit to these last two years. "You guys just look so down and out of it," he finally answered. "I thought you might need some cheering up after losing in the final game for the Cup."

The six birds exchanged glances for a brief moment before Nosedive finally spoke up. "It's just a trophy, dude."

"Just a trophy!?" Phil shrieked, startling the players. "Lord Stanley of Preston's Cup is not '_just a trophy_'! It is THE TROPHY which every hockey player aspires to have their name engraved on! This means everything to all players around the world!"

"But not all players from around the world get to play for it," Mallory interjected.

Phil looked her over incredulously. Was he really hearing this?

"Ya," Tanya joined in. "I mean, I understand that many, um, players from the league are from different parts of the world, but that, that doesn't include _all_ of the best players."

He really was hearing this. These birds had finally flown over the cuckoo's nest.

"Wouldn't a more impressive achievement be winning an Olympic Gold Metal?" Wildwing asked. The blank look and lack of response from the human prompted the team captain to continue his train of thought. "It's an achievement given every four years. It's scarce and very difficult to obtain. And the roster for each team includes players from other leagues aside the twenty-something teams playing in the NHL, right?" Silence filled the dead air as some of the others nodded in agreement while a pair of them shrugged, clearly not knowing what their captain was talking about. "Do you suppose we can participate in the next Winter Olympics?" Wildwing looked gleeful, his smile mirroring his brother's goofy trademark feature.

The manager remained flabbergasted. His team didn't care about winning a Stanley Cup?! No. That wasn't quite right. Had they not cared at all they wouldn't have put all that effort into getting to that final game. Maybe he should spend more time explaining the importance of all the trophies and awards that the league presented each year. He smiled to himself. At least they weren't as depressed as he had originally thought them to be. "I guess you can't win them all," he shrugged.

"So, there was talk about dinner," Nosedive leaned onto the short board. "Is that still happening? On the house?!" he wiggled his eyebrows, emphasizing that last part.

"You'd have to cancel your reservations."

The team looked past their manager to see yet another, much shorter human make his way down towards the bench.

"Hey Kleggie, you here to join in on this dinner par-tay?"

The police captain growled at the nickname. But rather than vocalize his disdain, he pulled out a small box from the inside of his coat, casually tossing it towards the group. "I'm actually here to find the owner of this bad boy."

Nosedive caught the box and tore it open like a child with an early Christmas present. The lid haphazardly floated to the floor, quickly followed by the rest of the box as he pulled out its content. "Dude!" he exclaimed holding up the prize. "It looks like Duke's saber!" he held the hilt up briefly before swinging it in the most awkward slashes that would put any swordsman to shame. "Too bad humans don't have the know-how to make one."

A blade materialized as the young duck swung wildly, causing his teammates to fall back.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Mallory had fallen to the ice in lieu of being sliced in half.

"Opps!" Nosedive dropped the offending piece. "That thing is for reals!" he pointed down at the sword, a look of astonishment etched onto his face. "Where did you get it from, Cap?" his voice was in utter disbelief.

Captain Klegghorn crossed his arms. "The scene of a crime," he informed.

"What crime?" Wildwing perked up.

"We've had a few break-ins this last week. One at a jewelry store and two more at research and development facilities. This was left behind just last night, the fourth hit, at some construction site."

The group turned in unison to face Duke.

"Wha'da ya staring at me fo'?" The grey duck was quickly agitated by the implied thought that must have run through everyone's minds. "I 'ave my saber downstairs," he declared. "'sides, we've already been through this last year. I ain't stole a thing since the Invasion."

Tanya picked up the weapon, studying it thoroughly. "I can't imagine it'd be human made. It certainly doesn't look like it. It really resem-, appear-, um, looks like yours." She handed it off to the former thief.

The drake's feathers ruffled slightly in annoyance as he reached out for the weapon. "Mine's downstairs an'-" His eyes widened as he took hold of what he thought was a cheap imitation of his trusty sword. "There's no way…" he whispered to himself once he got a better look at the object.

"So, it is yours?" Klegghorn questioned.

"Ya," he paused for a moment, deep in thought. "But it can't be."

"Which is it L'Orange?"

"It's mine, but it's not da one I've been carrin' 'round," he looked at the police officer, confused about the situation. "This one was left behind on Puckworld…" His mind raced to try to find a viable explanation as to how it got to Earth, but nothing seemed fitting.

Silence once again filled the empty arena. "This has Dragaunus written all over it," Mallory crossed her arms.

"How would that red dino get a hold of it if it's supposed to be on Puckworld? Didn't we destroy his gateway thingie last year?" Nosedive scratched his head.

"It's his technology. Couldn't he build another?" Grin offered a possible solution.

Tanya brought a hand up under her beak. "I suppose he could, but the problem would be how to power it," she was working the problem mentally. They had thought that Dragaunus' flagship had been stranded at the bottom of the ocean the year before. Unfortunately for them, when they did return to look for the Raptor it was once again gone. It didn't matter how out of power that ship was, Dragaunus always managed to find a way to move his aircraft, a small fact that annoyed the avian group to no end.

"It doesn't matter how it got here. I know it wasn't you who did all the stealing," Captain Klegghorn began as he looked up at the grey duck. The group silently waited for the officer's explanation, their breaths held. "Two of the crimes were committed during the last two games you were playing. There's enough video evidence to support that much. Unless, of course, you happen to have a twin we're not aware of."

That last bit seemed to lift Duke out of his reverie,a small smile on his chipped beak. "I don't think he'd be as good lookin' a bird," he joked with the officer.

"Either way, I'm gonna have to take you in, L'Orange."

"What?!"

"It'll be more of a formality," the officer motioned for the alien to follow. "We know it wasn't you, even if it is your weapon that was left behind. We just need to write up the report, take your statement and all that good fun stuff. You'll be back in an hour or so."

Duke sighed heavily, but did not protest. It could be worse. He could actually be going to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

0-0-0

Wildwing stared at the map displayed on the large screen before him, a hand under his beak as he studied the locations indicated on the massive computer. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the four sites hit. He nodded, silently asking Tanya to change the display to the list of items taken from each location. Large uncut diamonds, varying amounts of chemicals he couldn't pronounce names to even if his life depended on it, and what he guessed were simple building materials.

"Well, I'm stumped," Tanya admitted leaning back in her seat. "Though, I have to admit, he does keep things interesting. Heehee."

Wildwing looked at the engineer dismayed. He hated to admit it, but Dragaunus' way of problem solving was still very much foreign to them, as was his knowledge of the universe they all inhabited. When the Warlord had first appeared on their home world, many everyday objects that Puckworld's population had overlooked had been used with deadly efficiently against them.

"Don't ruffle your tail feathers, bro. Old dino-zoid will screw up soon enough."

"It's scary he went unnoticed before," the older sibling returned his gaze to the giant screen of Drake-One.

Before he had any more time to ponder the thought further, an alarm flashed onscreen, sending the displayed information into the background as a new map with a point bleeped forward. Its flashing red point indicating the location of the Saurian teleportation energy being emitted.

"Told ya!" Nosedive raced towards the elevator, the rest of the flock following suite.

0-0-0

Nosedive turned the corner of another storage unit quietly to be disappointed by a whole lot of nothing. When they had first arrived at the industrial compound, there were no signs of any suspicious activity. Now he wondered if Drake-One had glitched on them, seeing as how they've rarely heard from Dragaunus and gang in the past year.

Mallory paced past him, placing her hands on her hips and sighing heavily. "Nothing!" She was just as upset as the young blonde.

"You think they got away?" he holstered his weapon.

"Pfff!" she ran a hand through her short red hair. "Only if the shopping list was tiny. Those dinosaurs like to lumber around. They have no sense of urgency." A quick glance around the area revealed nothing of importance. "Let's get back. This is a waste of time."

"Rightie-O!" the young duck turned on the balls of his heels and was about to leave when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Mal!" he waved at his partner, getting the other's attention. "Lookie here," he pointed down at the ground.

Mallory went over to her teammate and was greeted by what looked like three sets of footprints in the damp dirt. Two of them were dragging something large and bulky behind them while the third, much tinier, was simply following from the looks of things.

"Gotcha!" her grin was maniacal.

The pair followed the trail until they came upon their pray. The small clearing was wedged between two buildings, with a third currently under construction. The scaffolding overhead gave the two ducks cover as they watched the Saurians fumble around. The dark sorcerer shook his head as the bickering between his two companions continued. They were in the process of moving several industrial barrels into a clearing. What they contained, the ducks didn't know. But if the Saurians wanted them, then it was their job to stop them from taking the barrels.

"Long time no see!" Nosedive announced himself to the enemy. Taking quick aim he easily separated Saurian from barrels. Mallory joined in and soon the reptilian warlords found themselves cornered and well out of the reach of their goal. "You guys 'ought to just give up, man! Make it easier for everyone!" he taunted.

"NEVER! Not until the crate drops!" Chameleon responded dramatically, one triumphant arm shooting skyward.

"It's 'Until the _curtain_ drops', pea-brain!" Nosedive corrected. "Or maybe 'Until the fat lady sings'?"

"Watch it!" Mallory took a hold of the younger duck's wrist, yanking him forward as a large crate fell from above.

Nosedive fumbled, tripping and landing awkwardly on the ground as the falling crate smashed into the spot he had been standing in. "He wasn't kidding!"

Hazel-green eyes scanned the scaffolding overhead, but found nothing. Mallory returned her attention to the giant lizards. They had returned to the barrels and where in the process of teleporting away. She aimed her weapon, but held her fire.

"FLY! Fly my pretty! Nyahahaha!" Chameleon's disembodied voice echoed through the now empty lot as he vanished from sight.

A shiver ran down her spine. That Saurian wasn't completely there and it creeped her out. She looked up once more, trying to figure out how that crate had toppled over. The scaffolding held another three large crates, but they looked to be secured in place. Had the Saurians set that up beforehand? A trap? She turned to her partner with that thought coming into focus. "Hey Nose-"

That thought was cut short as she felt something whiz past her arm. Instinctively wincing, she clutched onto the spot. Taking a quick look she saw the small speckle of blood left behind as her arm began to sting. Years of training automatically kicked in. She moved backwards as fast as her feet could carry her, a series of what looked like daggers buried themselves into the ground where she had stood seconds before, following her every step.

Slamming into a wall behind her, she froze for a moment. Two more daggers dug themselves into the wall next to her as she dodged the incoming projectiles. She finally reached relative safety behind a short stack of bricks, one final dagger embedding itself into the ground next to her foot. She watched as this particular weapon was reeled back, attached on a thin cord. "The hell is this?!" She glanced over at Nosedive, who had taken shelter behind an industrial trash bin.

The blonde did not respond, instead he had followed the trajectory of the knives and was locked on to his mystery target. Raising from his spot, he shot two rounds from his blaster only to realize that his target was no longer there. He ducked back behind the trash bin, shrugging at the redhead opposite of him.

Mallory scanned the scaffolding once again, searching for any movement and grew anxious as she saw none. They had to move. Their enemy knew where they were, but they had no idea where their enemy was. "Dive, run!" she ordered, getting to her feet and retreating.

Nosedive didn't question the order and followed her out the same way they had entered the little clearing. Halfway down the building, a glint caught his attention from above. He instinctively turned his body, barely being grazed by a dagger as it whizzed down and embedded itself an inch from the tip of his boot. His clear blue eyes followed the thin cord attached to the blade back up in time to see a figure descending on him. He yelped as the body slammed into him, forcing him onto his back. Opening his eyes wide, he found the figure perched on top of him, a blade held high in one hand. His blood ran cold as the sharp object descended and he shut his eyes tightly. "MOM!"

"UFF!"

The weight disappeared and he peeked a nervous look. Mallory stood over him, her blaster drawn and a shot fired. "Got him!" she exclaimed before turning to look down at the younger duck on the floor. "Mom? Seriously?" a wicked smile spread across her bill as she snickered at her macho teammate.

He frowned, clearly embarrassed. "She was a very tough duck," he explained as he turned to look at his assailant laying a few feet away.

The figure was much smaller than he had first though. It was currently slumped over facedown, struggling desperately to get free of the tether binding of a bola-puck, but to no avail. A pair of daggers attached by metallic cords lay slightly out of reach. The weapons reminded him of the Earthling's kunai that he had seen in his comics. And… where those feathered hands? And a beak?!

"Dude," Nosedive rose to his feet, eyes wide and dusting himself off, "Is that… a duck?!"

Mallory growled, holstering her puckblaster with disgust. "Ch-ya, looks like it," she came up to the downed duck. "Looks like Dragaunus fixed that gateway. I can't believe he would send another duck after us."

"I can't believe anyone would still work for old fossil-breath after all this time," Nosedive added.

The figure continued to struggle, ignoring the pair until Mallory came down, one knee pressing into the downed duck's back as she reached for his hands.

"WAH!" the downed duck exclaimed. "Get off, you fat old hen!"

Mallory's hands halted abruptly. A moment of silence engulfed them as the words registered in her mind. "Why you little!" she steamed, losing her cool and flipping the duck over brusquely. Nosedive intervened before anything could happen and both Mighty Ducks paused.

"Dude! You're just a duckling!" Nosedive exclaimed.

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A/N: Please bare with me here, this is an ancient story that I found in an old notebook from back around the times the series first aired. Of course there's had to be some stuff that had to be rewritten in order to make some more sense then that of a babbling 13ish-year-old fan. I hope you guys like it ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own the Mighty Ducks Animated Series, and I don't think I ever will.

Anyways, as for the single review I got so far from TheMightyDuck: Thanks for the encouragement, it's really reassuring and much appreciated. For a while after reading that review I was tempted to take out "duckling" and replace it with "kid", mainly because, you're right. We conjure up thoughts of harmless, fluffy, yellow, down-feathered birds with the term "duckling". After much rewriting and second guessing, I decided to stick with "duckling" simply because I imagine that to the Ducks "duckling" could be the equivalent of "kid". I guess I just felt like it adds more flavor and colloquialism to the story. For now, just think of this "duckling" as hovering around the age of 13-15.

Again, thanks for the review (it made my day ^_^).

NOW, on with the story!:

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**Chapter 2:**

Duke made his way towards his fellow teammates, riding up to the large battle van on an extra cycle. The avian group was assembled in a semi-circle next to the Migrator. All attention was focused on Wildwing as he interrogated someone who stood between Nosedive and Mallory, blocked from the grey bird's line of sight.

"Wha'd I'd miss?" Duke asked as he killed the engine.

Grin was the only one to turn and acknowledge his approach. "Dragaunus' Dimensional Gateway is functional once more. He has sent another duck to try and take us out."

"Or at least distract us," Tanya laughed sarcastically. "I'm not sure how efficient ducklings are at, you know, trying to take anyone out."

"Duckling?" Duke's curiosity piqued.

Tanya pointed out the small figure standing between Nosedive and Mallory as Duke came to stand next to her. The duckling in question barely stood chest high to Nosedive and was tightly wrapped with the thick cords of a bola-puck, scrunching up the fabric of a raggedy dark green sweater. A pouch peeked out from below the sweater, resting snuggly on small hips. Messy chocolate brown hair fell down to mid back and brown matted feathers spoke of little maintenance. The kid looked like a complete mess. Even her boots looked like she'd been wearing them for ages.

"What a waste of time," Mallory crossed her arms exasperated. "Common kid! Tell us something!"

"I don't know anything," the girl's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Let's start with a name!"

The girl fell silent.

"You have to tell us something," Wildwing cut in, his voice softer than usual.

"Common, duckie," Nosedive tired his hand when the girl remained silent. "We just want to know anything you might know. World domination plans, any mention of Bulerium Crystals, what's next on Dragaunus' shopping list? You know, basics."

Silence.

"Hi, my name's Babes. My family was captured by Dragaunus and unless I do his bidding he'll terminate them!" Mallory began once again in a mocking manner. "See, easy!"

The girl winched, her features twisting as honey brown eyes narrowed dangerously on the redhead. "My family has been dead for years. I'm an orphan from the Lyn Conflict," she responded with a heavy sigh.

"Way to go, Mallory," Nosedive slapped the side of his teammate's arm.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mallory quieted down, her voice strained with guilt. She had never meant to upset anyone.

Wildwing knelt down beside the girl, removing the Mask in an attempt to be more approachable and less intimidating, his eyes meeting hers. "Whatever's happened, you're safe with us. You don't have to worry about Dragaunus." He placed a massive hand on her tiny shoulder, trying to reassure her. "Can you tell us your name?"

She fidgeted, her features clouding over with anxiety and fear. "Audrey," she barely whispered finally meeting his eyes. "Can you really keep me safe from Dragaunus? He's so terrifying and wicked!" her voice rose a few trembling octaves as tears welled in her frightened eyes.

Wildwing nodded. He understood where she was coming from. Dragaunus was a massive and very intimidating creature to behold. Nothing in all of Puckworld could have prepared you for such a monster, not even the old tales. Truth be told, he still occasionally had nightmares about his first encounter with the Saurian Overlord. "You're safe with us," he reassured sympathetically.

A quick glance around the group was received by a sea of agreeing nods.

"Layin' it kinnda heavy there, ain't ya sweet'eart?" Duke's amused voice cut through the tender moment.

Audrey's head suddenly whipped around to find the source of the voice, all traces of frail fear disappeared from her features. "It can't be…" her calculating eyes landed on the grey duck. "Duke..?"

"You know her?" Wildwing was surprised for a moment before registering the girl's sudden change in attitude. Her eyes were devoid of the tears that had welled up only moments ago and her stance was guarded. She was highly alert, her imbuing sense of innocence and fragility gone. "Wait. Where- where you playing us for saps?" his voice was a mixture of surprised hurt and disbelief.

Duke laughed at the team leader's question as he advanced towards the pair. "You've no idea, Wildwing," he mused. He gestured for the girl to turn and she did so without question. Retrieving his saber, he effortlessly cut the cords that bound her.

Audrey muttered a quiet 'thanks' before bashfully turning her gaze up to white drake, smiling uneasily.

"Little punk lied to us!" Mallory spat, disgusted by the thought. "An 'orphan from Lyn' my tail feathers!"

"Actually, that part is true," Duke clarified.

"Two-for-Oh, Mal! You're on a role tonight!" Nosedive bumped her shoulder as a hiss escaped her.

"Hold on," Wildwing was standing at full height with the DuCaine Mask in place again. "You two know each other?" his finger danced from one duck to the next.

Duke and Audrey exchanged a knowing look and nodded.

"You," the leader's attention was squarely on the girl. "You were going to sucker us into a false sense of security. Why?"

Audrey dug her hand into the pouch at her side, fishing out a small round chip and tossed it at him. "Dragaunus wanted me to plant this on one of you."

Wildwing scanned the chip over with the Mask. It was emitting a low signal, probably a tracking beacon of some sorts. Frowning, he crushed it in gloved hand. Why would Dragaunus want to track any of them? It wasn't like the Saurian didn't know where to find them. After all, he'd already attached their home and base of operations once before. Not to mention that it wasn't too hard to find their schedules for games, appearances, and such for at least the next month in advanced. They weren't exactly hiding themselves. "And then?"

"Head back using this," she pulled out another device from the pocket at her side.

Tanya took the device from the girl and studied it for a moment. "It looks like one of their teleporters," she muttered more to herself as she turned it over a few times, trying to make sense of the alien technology in her hands. They had one back at the Pond, unfortunately, it had been fried when the little energy monster used it to travel back to the Raptor. Its short circuited shell useless to her.

"Bro! We can totally get the drop on those sleaze-asaurs with this thing!" Nosedive piped up as he came to stand at his brother's side. "They wouldn't even see it coming!"

"Wait a minute, time out!" Mallory brought her hands up to form a 'T'. "We just met this pint-sized feather who half lied to us and you think it's a good idea to use stuff she's just handing over willy-nilly to barge into the Raptor, guns-a-blazing, like they're not expecting us?"

"Dude," Nosedive laughed nervously, "aren't you normally the one willing and ready to do just that?"

"Not when the enemy is expecting me so blatantly! Besides, we don't ever know her! She could be setting us up!" Mallory retorted.

"I can vouch for 'er," Duke interrupted.

"Your last friend locked Nosedive and Tanya in a room to die," Mallory pointed accusingly. "And then he tried to kill you before double-crossing Dragaunus."

"I never vouched for 'im."

Mallory remained silent, unable to counter that statement.

"It's not like we haven't randomly walked into danger before," Nosedive continued. "Besides, the author's been stuck on this part for, like a month. Might as well transition into the next scene and get this story moving again."

Wildwing eyed the group cautiously before landing on the duckling. She turned to look up at Duke, who in turn nodded, assuring his leader. "Well, this is the first solid lead we've had in a few months. Who knows when we'll find those lizards again."

"Let's do this!" Nosedive pumped his arms above his head.

"I don't like this," Mallory stepped forward regardless of the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Don't worry," Tanya held the transporter in her hands as the group closed in around her. "We always find a way out. We're the good guys, after all."

With a final nod from their captain, Tanya activated the teleporter. All seven ducks disappeared in the eerie jade glow of the Saurian device, whisked away to face their mortal enemies on Saurian home turf.

0-0-0

The group rematerialized within the gloomy confines of the Raptor, deep in the belly of the grounded ship. A quick scan of the room suggested that they were in some sort of storage area. The walls were lined with all kinds of working materials and crates.

"This way," Audrey waved at them to follow as she turned to head out the darkened room.

Duke followed without question, gesturing silently for his teammates to do the same. With some unease in their minds, they reluctantly trailed their young hostess.

Twists and turns suddenly became familiar to Wildwing and he quietly activated the DuCaine Mask, pulling up an archived map of the Raptor's known passages. True to her word, Audrey was leading them in the direction of the throne room. Satisfied with her actions, his posture relaxed.

A second before they materialized, the Mask of Drake DuCaine alerted the young leader to the teleporting energy of the enemy. The group was surrounded on all sides by Hunter Drones, weapons up and ready for combat. Their sudden appearance had not surprised any of them, what did come as a shock was the sudden attack from the young girl. With incredible speed and agility, she had turned, weaving through the group and singling out Wildwing.

Wildwing lifted his left gauntlet out of reflex and hesitated. There was no way he could shoot a duckling. It was then that his arm was jerked upward. Looking to his side he saw Duke, the tip of his saber piercing his armor. "What are you doing?" he practically yelled.

The grey drake withdrew the blade, forcefully shoving the younger one back. "I got 'er," he didn't bother to look at his captain, eyes trained on the advancing girl.

Audrey did not slow in her pace. She pulled two of her daggers out of seemingly nowhere and flung them forward with deadly precision. Duke dodged the first blade while diverting the second with a sweeping swing of his sword as he moved forward. Wildwing half watched the fight unfold while trying to keep the Hunter Drones at bay. The girl somehow managed to stay out of the grey duck's reach, constantly retreating. Even so, the two seemed to move harmoniously, practically synchronized in a strange dance with one another. For some reason Duke faltered in his step. The girl made quick work of the misstep, sending a dagger attached to a chain flying at him, aimed squarely for his chest. The grey drake mentally braced himself for the sharp pain that was to come.

Wildwing stepped in, his shield active, and blocked the incoming projectile. Duke released the breathe he had held in while the white drake took hold of the chain, yanking it with all his strength. The girl lurked forward a few steps, closing the gap between them. Duke took the opening to dash forward, he had to stop her before-

"Ahhh!" Duke crumpled to the ground, a sharp pain coursing through his body as he curled into a small ball on the floor. He looked up to see a pair of Hunter Drones aiming their weapons at him. He wasn't sure where they had come from. His body twitched, the electric shock that had coursed through him continued to make his muscles tight.

"Duke!" Wildwing tried to make his way to his fallen comrade, but was stopped as Audrey rushed him. She swiped at him with the daggers, pushing him back a few fumbling steps as he blocked each swing. He heard the sharp blows glide off his armor. Finally regained his footing, he lunged forward, body checking the young girl with his massive shoulder armor. He heard the wind being knocked out of her and felt the small body being lifted off the ground. For a split second he felt sorry, even guilty for what he had just done. But he wasn't about to just let himself be beat by some kid.

Wildwing felt a cool breeze wash across his face. Time slowed as he watched the girl tumble backwards, hands outstretched, gripping something. It took a few seconds for his mind to register the object as the Mask of Drake DuCaine. Shocked, he brought his hands up to his face to confirm that he no longer had said Mask. Indeed, it no longer sat on his face and he watched the girl hit the ground a few feet from him with a backwards roll. Momentum pushing her legs over her head before she firmly planted her feet on the ground, stopping in a low crouch. Taking in a deep breath, she smirked up at him, mockingly holding up the prized object.

"No!" He moved forward to retrieve the priceless artifact.

A new cluster of Hunter Drones stopped him in his tracks, causing him to flinch back. He turned to finally notice that the rest of his team had been captured by the overwhelming number of machines and cursed under his breath. It seemed like Dragaunus hadn't been as ideal as he'd thought this last year.

"Sorry," Audrey stood breathlessly. "It's useless to Lord Dragaunus, but it's also a pain in his tail to let you keep it." She studied the DuCaine Mask, clearly in awe of the legendary object.

"How is it that a mere child could do what three Saurian Warlords cannot?" Dragaunus' cackling voice startled everyone. The reptilian Overlord made himself present, pleased with the scene that lay before him. The other three Saurians close at hand.

"It's not for lack of trying, boss!" Chameleon waddled forward. "These birds just tend to be crafty at times," he glanced over at Wildwing who growled at him. Strolling up to the drake, the Saurian chuckled. Morphing into a human that none of his peers would recognize he began quoting an Earthling movie. "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?"

"It's 'do _I_ feel lucky'," Nosedive's voice cut through the thickness of the situation.

Wildwing let his shoulders fall, closing his eyes and shaking his head embarrassed of the blood ties he shared with that particular blonde. Of course his little brother would know that and not waste such an opportune moment to show off his useless knowledge. It was at times like these he wished he had those telekinetic powers that the characters who inhabited his brother's comics did just so he could smack him upside the head from afar.

All eyes turned to the young blonde as he shrugged. "What?" was his only defense.

"Lord Dragaunus," Wraith's slender form folded upon itself as he approached his master. "We should dispose of these pillow stuffings while we have the chance."

"I thought the plan was to make them watch in despair as Lord Dragaunus took over this world," Audrey addressed the old creature.

"This discussion does not concern you, duck," the dark sorcerer sneered, making the duckling retreat a few steps.

"I'm sorry," she cowered, her voice small. "I was just under the impression that Lord Dragaunus wanted them to be humiliated by their failure."

Wraith growled menacingly, furthering the girl's retreat until she came to stand alongside Chameleon. Pleased with himself, he returned his attention to his Lord. "It would be unwise to let them live."

"Someone thinks highly of himself," Audrey muttered under her breath. Chameleon caught her little tirade and chuckled. She fidgeted as another growl from the horned Saurian reached her, his hearing was clearly still sharp for his ancient age.

"I like her," Chameleon chuckled patting the girl on the head. "Can I keep her, Boss? I'll make sure to feed and walk her every day!" The girl brushed the scaly green hand away, clearly not as amused as the Saurian.

A deep rumbling emitted from the Saurian Overlord. His yellowed eyes dancing from one captive to the next as he smirked wickedly. "Disarm them and toss them in the holding cells. They will watch as they fail to protect this world the way they did their own."

The massive Saurian turned and stalked up to the duckling, stretching out his hand to her. It took her a moment to register that he wanted the Mask of Drake DuCaine. Begrudgingly, she handed it over. "And after I'm done draining this measly planet of every last drop of energy it possesses, I will send you all into limbo," he held the fabled Accursed Mask in taloned hands, starring into it. This tiny thing had secured his ancestor's downfall many generations ago. He sneered at it with great disdain and a foul taste in his mouth, but decided to keep the useless object as a small trophy. It would forever be a reminder of his victory over this small group.

"Dammit all!" Mallory cursed, angrily kicking dead air as she was held down by a number of Hunter Drones.

"Take them away!" Dragaunus bellowed.

The Hunter Drones did their master's bidding, supervised by Seige as the other three Saurians left, the duckling trailing not too far behind them. She gave the group one last look before disappearing behind a corner.

Wildwing swore under his breath as they were gathered up and forced to march deeper into the enemy ship, his team grumbling as they were collected and lead away. He happened to catch Duke's eye, silently questioning him about the situation. The grey duck slowly shrugged, leaving an uneasy feeling in the younger drake's stomach.

* * *

A/N: Fun times to be had by all!


End file.
